Addiction: Understanding the battle

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August 13, 2012 — The death of Garrett Reid after a long battle with drug use is a reminder that addiction is a complicated – and chronic – disease. Researchers are urging healthcare providers and policy makers to treat addiction more like they do diabetes or heart disease. Guest host Maiken Scott explores how prevention and ongoing treatment for addicts could fit into a primary care model and discuss what kinds of supports families struggling with addiction need.

Guests include researchers from the Treatment Research Institute in Philadelphia — a research organization with the mission to translate science into improved policies and practice in the substance use arena.

Kimberly Kirby, Ph.D. is a senior scientist at TRI where she is directs the Parents Translational Research Center, an initiative to better understand the impact of adolescent addiction on the whole family and to create and disseminate evidence-based supports for parents and caregivers.

Kathleen Meyers, Ph.D., also a senior scientist at TRI, is a recognized leader in the assessment and treatment of adolescent substance use disorders. Dr. Meyers is the author of the Comprehensive Adolescent Severity Inventory (CASI), one of the most widely used instruments to assess substance abuse for youth.

Adam Brooks, Ph.D. is a research scientist at TRI who is an expert in continuous recovery management, the development of evidence-based supports for counselors, and the integration of substance use prevention and intervention into standard medical practice.